Fly Fishing News

Oversight or Overlook?

Submitted by Ted Williams on Wed, 02/01/2012 - 09:55.

In October 2009, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson declared that eco-enforcement by the states needed to dramatically improve and that one of her top seven priorities was to strengthen state enforcement through tough and consistent oversight.

A new report by the EPA Inspector General suggests that Ms. Jackson apparently confused oversight with overlook. Contrary to her vow, the IG finds–

“State enforcement programs are underperforming…non-compliance is high and the level of enforcement is low”;

“EPA does not act effectively to curtail weak and inconsistent enforcement by states”; and

EPA can step in itself to take enforcement action but the IG says EPA fails to “intervene decisively” even against major violations. This means laws like the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts are no safety net for Americans whose exposure to pollutants depends upon the state where they reside.

Consider these cases of eco-abdication by states which PEER has brought to EPA but the agency has yet to take action –